LONDON.- The star lot of London’s “Russian Week” will be Nude, one of Zinaida Serebriakova’s undisputed masterpieces. The painting – on sale at MacDougall’s 3 December 2009 – is the most expensive painting at the four auction houses with specialist sales the first week of December.

Forming part of a unique collection of paintings by the Russian artist Zinaida
Serebriakova to be offered at MacDougall’s 3 December Russian Art sale, the work depicts her favourite model, sensual yet pure in the naked innocence of her youth (estimate £1,000,000–1,500,000).

Catherine MacDougall, Art Director at the specialist Russian Art Auction house, explained “we already have substantial interest in this extraordinary work, so we expect it to do well.”

The painting was shown at the seminal exhibition of Serebriakova’s works at the Russian Embassy in Paris in 1995 – an exhibition that marked a turning point for the artist, propelling her into the pantheon of internationally acclaimed painters. As with Tamara de Lempicka, Serebriakova’s nudes have achieved almost cult status among the most important collectors. Nude is one of the best examples of such oil paintings, and a rare find on the market.

Other star lots at MacDougall’s 3 December Russian Art auction include works by Roerich and Baranoff-Rossiné, both estimated at £500,000-700,000. In last June’s London “Russian Week”, MacDougall’s sold over £8 m, the second best result for the four auction houses that week, and achieved several world records.

MacDougall’s is also the largest auctioneer of Icons in the world, so their auction of Icons of the Orthodox World on 2 December also promises to be exciting.